Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers.  I have been slowly working my way through the widely popular and critically acclaimed Fruits Basket manga series. Fruits Basket is a completed series with a total of 23 volumes.

Description: A family with an ancient curse...

And the girl who will change their lives forever...

Tohru Honda was an orphan with no place to go until the mysterious Sohma family offered her a place to call home. Now her ordinary high school life is turned upside down as she's introduced to the Sohma's world of magical curses and family secrets.

Review: I would highly recommend reading Fruits Basket to readers who want to try reading manga, but are not sure where to start. The series is complete so you don't have to wait for volumes to be released. It also has a broad range of genres ranging from cute romantic comedy to serious reflection on what it means to grow up and change, which makes the series very appealing to a wide variety of readers. 
  It took me a while to get my footing in this series. The first few volumes felt repetitive as we watch Tohru learn about the Sohma clan's curse and meet each member of the Chinese zodiac. Once we have the initial meet and greet of the large cast of characters, the story switches its focus from exploring the zodiac to the relationships between the characters and it was at this point where I got hooked into the manga series. 
 The characters of Fruits Basket gives the manga its emotional depth and heart. Tohru is a selfless and resilient heroine who is consistently positive and full of life despite the hardships she has faced. Some readers may see her as a stereotypical shojo girl who is clumsy, ditzy, and naive, but I would strongly disagree. Tohru is a symbol of warmth, love, and acceptance. She knows there will be times when life will have some steep lows, but she tries her best to be happy and do her best. Tohru is a stark contrast to those of the Sohma family. For many members of the Sohma family, Tohru fills a void in many different ways ranging from a mother figure to a sister and to a friend.
  The Sohma family's curse in which hugging a member of the opposite sex will turn them into their zodic animal is initially used for comedy relief in the first few volumes, but as the manga continues the curse is used metaphorically for their phobia of growing up and assimilating to the outside world. The interactions within the Sohma family are surprisingly heart wrenching, dark, claustrophobic, and cold as the characters are pretty much void of any emotional attachment until Tohru comes into their lives. Any attempts of being remotely happy are squashed under the iron fist of the Sohma family leader who 'chains' himself to everyone. Even the innocent children are not spared and almost all of their parents have abandoned and neglected them. I was very surprised about the dark and mature issues in this manga series given the volume's cheery and cute cover art.
 As the manga processes, its characters also grow and change both physically, emotionally, and mentally. I really liked how the author focused on all of her main characters, giving them their own subplot stories that are critical to the manga's overall plot arc and themes.  
 I did have a few issues with the artwork in the manga series. In the first few volumes, the art looked too compressed and squished in their panels. There were many times I was confused as to who the characters are because they look so much alike, but it did get better as the manga moved along and the author becoming more comfortable with her characters and story.
 While I did have some lingering questions that were not addressed in the story, I was overall pleased with how everything came together. There were a few volumes that seemed to be a bit filler and I would have combined them, but that is not unusual for manga series. There are certainly dark moments throughout the manga series, but the ending was full of hope and heart. I can certainly see why many people chose this series to begin their manga reading journey and I would definitely recommend it. I plan on watching the anime shortly.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution:  The first few volumes in this manga are suitable for tweens, however, as the series continues mature situations and themes are explored. There is some language, suggestive nudity, crude humor, allusions to sex, and depictions of emotional abuse in the manga series.Recommended for strong Grade 7 readers and up. 

If you like this book try: Sand Chronicles by Hinako Ashihara

 I apologize for the lack of posts this week. The end of the school year craze is in full gear and I am trying my best to handle it all. Unfortunately, that means blogging has been on the back burner, but I hope to be in full swing next week. *Fingers crossed*

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine! This week I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Roshani Choksi's debut novel The Star-Touched Queen. This book has been all over the blogosphere and has received a lot of hype, which makes me a bit nervous to pick it up. 






The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi 
Publish date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: Macmillian


 The main reasons why I am excited for this book:

• Standalone fantasy
• Mystery with the protagonist's self-discovery
• Romance 
• Indian mythology and folklore 

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father's kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire.

But Akaran has its own secrets -- thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most . . . including herself.

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine! This week I'm eagerly awaiting the release of two books, the middle grade book Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo and The Golden Boys by Sonya Hartnett.





Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo 
Publish date: April 12, 2016
Publisher: Candlewick Press


  After reading the book's description, I have a strong feeling it will make me cry. I will need to have tissues on hand just in case. While I wasn't the biggest fan of Winn-Dixie, I have liked DiCamillo's other works. This one sounds like another winner.  

Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie's picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways. Colt Jenson and his younger brother, Bastian, have moved to a new, working-class suburb. The Jensons are different. Their father, Rex, showers them with gifts — toys, bikes, all that glitters most — and makes them the envy of the neighborhood. To the local kids, the Jensons are a family out of a movie, and Rex a hero — successful, attentive, attractive, always there to lend a hand. But to Colt he's an impossible figure: unbearable, suffocating. Has Colt got Rex wrong, or has he seen something in his father that will destroy their fragile new lives?

Cat Winter's The Steep and Thorny Way is one of my anticipated reads for 2016. It combines all of my interests: historical fiction of a lesser known time period, Shakespeare, murder mystery, and best of all a diverse cast of characters. Many thanks to Amulet books and Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Description: 1920s Oregon is not a welcoming place for Hanalee Denney, the daughter of a white woman and an African-American man. She has almost no rights by law, and the Ku Klux Klan breeds fear and hatred in even Hanalee’s oldest friendships. Plus, her father, Hank Denney, died a year ago, hit by a drunk-driving teenager. Now her father’s killer is out of jail and back in town, and he claims that Hanalee’s father wasn’t killed by the accident at all but, instead, was poisoned by the doctor who looked after him—who happens to be Hanalee’s new stepfather.

The only way for Hanalee to get the answers she needs is to ask Hank himself, a “haint” wandering the roads at night.

Review: The Steep and Thorny Way is a historical murder mystery set in the 1920s Oregon. Winters does an incredible job in setting up the scene and era of the lesser known time period in Oregon. We  normally think of the 1920s as the Roaring Twenties with flappers and gaudy parties of those of Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby and tend to forget that the 1920s is also an era of extreme intolerance exacerbated by the violence from the Ku Klux Klan against those who do not uphold their values. The inclusion of photographs is also a wake-up call in reminding us that the events described in the book actually happened. What I found to be extremely disturbing is that racism and even homophobia are very subtle, often made in an offhanded remark such as suggesting to use a skin lightener or suggesting you have a mental illness because of your sexual identity. Although these comments are indirectly made, they are still powerful, disturbing, and prevalent throughout the book not to mention even in our society today.
 The book centers around Hanalee, a biracial teen who seeks justice for her murdered father in Prohibition-era Oregon. As the daughter of a white woman and an African-American man, she has few legal rights during the 1920s but she is determined to help her restless father's ghost put to peace.
Hanalee's father, "the last full-blooded Negro in Elston, Oregon," was struck and killed by Joe Adder, a drunk-driving teenager a year earlier. When Joe is released from prison, he tells Hanalee that the doctor who tended to her father the night of the accident is the real killer and the doctor is Hanalee's new stepfather.
 I had a hard time getting into the story at first. I felt the story was initially too confined to the plot of Shakepeare's Hamlet. I spent my time making connections between the novel and the play, which slowed my reading pace and made me a bit distracted. Luckily, the story begins to stand on its own two feet and uses the play as its guidance as the murder mystery deepens as we learn in bits and pieces about what happened on that frightful night when Hanalee's father died. I really enjoyed watching Joe and Hanalee's friendship grow from initial adversaries to marginal allies as they both open about their own struggles. I also liked that the murder mystery was slow burned and it took its time in fully formulating which again helped reinforced the time period and the book's central issues and themes. I was definitely taken aback on the discovery of the eugenics movement and the "medical treatment" that were given to people because they were part of a minority.
  I would recommend The Steep and Thorny Way to readers who enjoy historical fiction and also to readers who enjoy a slow burn murder mystery with depth. Though it takes a while for the story to find its pace, it is most definitely a worth while read.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language, crude sexual humor, and racial and homophobic slurs. Recommended for Grades 8 and up.

If you like this book try: Out of Darkness by Hope Ashley Perez, Flygirl by Sherri Smith, Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee, Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Today I am happy to introduce historical fiction and fantasy young adult author, Coreena McBurnie, who will talk to us about her new series Prophecy which retells the story of Antigone. Prophecy is the first book in the series and is now available. See below for more details about Prophecy and Coreena down below. 

Hi, Coreena. Thank you for stopping by the blog today for an author interview! Can you tell us about the journey that led you to write your book?

I had always wanted to write about Antigone, but wasn't sure where to start, especially because I envisioned a young adult novel and some of the subject matter is delicate -- like Antigone being the child of incest (her mother is her grandmother and her father is also her brother). I also really love Sophocles' plays involving Antigone -- she has always been one of my favourite characters from Greek myth -- and I wanted to do her justice. About four years ago, I was signed up to do National Novel Writing Month (a challenge to write 50,000 words in November) and didn't know what to write. I finally decided to tackle Antigone. I sat down and decided not to worry about what was in the Greek myth, that was all set and done, and instead decided to write without trying to tiptoe around the sticky issues. Once I did that, Antigone found her voice, one that was surprising even to me.

Why did you decide to retell the Oedipus myth from the point of view of Antigone when Antigone has a story of her own?

I decided to do this because I wanted to start the story at the beginning. Oedipus' and Antigone's stories are most famously told by Sophocles in his Oedipus plays, the last of which is called Antigone. My book, Prophecy, is the first of a planned trilogy mirroring these three plays. I wanted to get to the roots of Antigone's amazing sense of duty that we know her for and thought the place to start would be with the profound impact her family story must have had on her life.

Who is your favorite Greek god or goddess and why?

I love Athena, the goddess of wisdom. She is strong, independent, and smart, which has always appealed to me. She even has an owl as her animal symbol. And, her temple is the Parthenon in Athens -- an amazingly fantastic building!

What is your favorite Greek myth?

That's a tough one, but I'd probably have to say Theseus and the Minotaur because it is the first myth that I remember learning about way back in elementary school. I wrote a report on it and I was fascinated -- I think my love for Greek myth began there.

What are you reading at the moment and what do you think of it?

I have just started reading The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald, a Swedish author. So far it is very good, and promises to be a funny, quirky read. It's about a young Swedish woman who has never travelled before and is now visiting her elderly pen pal in a small town in Iowa called Broken Wheel. However, when she arrives, her pen pal friend has died, but the young woman ends up staying for her visit anyway. I am really enjoying Swedish writing in general right now because the sense of humour appeals to me.

What are the top 5 reasons readers should pick up Prophecy?

• It has a powerful, strong, yet fallible heroine.
• It takes place in ancient Greece and has gods and goddesses in it.
• It is a fresh take on an old story that most people know.
• Even though Antigone is an ancient Theban princess, her struggles to find herself and do what she thinks is best, despite what everyone else says, is pretty universal and applicable, even today.
• I have studied Classical myth and culture for years, I even have degrees in Classical Studies, and I have put my love for Greek myth into this book.

 A hidden prophecy.
 A chosen princess who speaks with snakes.
 A family duty.

Sixteen year old Princess Antigone, daughter of the infamous ancient Greek King Oedipus, wants to lead a normal life and fulfill her duty to the gods, her city, and her family, but fate has other plans. The Olympian gods bless her, the snakes talk to her, her parents want her to marry a foreign prince, her embroidery looks like burial shrouds for dogs, and she has fallen in love with the wrong boy. When the mysterious and devastating prophecies surrounding her family are revealed, Antigone must choose where her allegiance lies: With the gods who have betrayed her family but who she is obliged to serve? With her plague ridden city? With her family which lay in ruins? Or even with herself?


Find the Book at: Amazon | Smashwords | Kobo | iBooks | Barnes and Noble



Prophecy, Book 1 in the Antigone Series, is my first published novel. Currently I am working on Book 2 in the Antigone Series, called Fate. I am also in the middle of another novel about Clytemnestra who is notorious in Greek myth for killing her husband, Agamemnon, when he returned home from the Trojan War. I love exploring the motives of strong women in ancient myth.

I live in BC, Canada with my husband, our three kids, and our cat, in a beautiful part of the country, on two rivers, surrounded by ranches, near ski hills, and only a couple of hours drive to the ocean.